Rotating stage mounting



Jan. 3, 1933 v a s. GLAGOLIN 1,893,167

ROTATING ISTAGE MOUNTING Filed June 21, 19.52

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1933 PATENT BORIS S. GLAGOLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ROTATING STAGE MOUNTING s 1 Application filed June 21,

My invention relates to rotating stage mountings and has a particular reference to the arrangement in which several stage seta tings are supported inside of a large cylinder placed on the stage of a theater and adapted to be rotated on its horizontal axis.

I am aware that rotary stages are being used at the present time in the shape of a round floor which can be turned on its vertical axis. It is arranged so that while one stage setting is exposed to the audience, the other portion of the rotary floor is used for mounting another setting. This arrangement saves the time needed for changes of scenery and eliminates the need of long intermissions. It still requires a large force of men for setting the decorations and furniture and taking them apart again during each performance.

In my arrangement I provide a number of permanent stage settings assembled and fastened to individual floors. These floors are arranged as sides of a large polygon inside of a cylinder. The latter is mounted on rollers under the stage floor and can be rotated so as to expose one stage setting at a time to the audience, the other setting being hidden from view by suitable curtains or screens. The stage settings being permanent, no labor is required for their arrangement for each scene, as the cylinder can be turned by the electric power.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of my arrangement partly in section, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 8 is an elevation of a mothfied portable device.

My arrangement consists of a number of floors 1 forming together a rigid polygon mounted inside of a cylinder 2. The latter may be built of several metal hoops joined together by a suitable metal tube 3 with braces 1 for the floors, or it may be built of structural steel with a light lattice work for stiffening the whole structure.

The hoops are supported on rollers 5 with retaining flanges 6. Shafts 7 of the rollers are journaled in bearing brackets 8 mounted 1932. Serial No. 618,459.

on a round base plate 9. The latter has a central shaft 10 supported on a ball bearing 11. Rollers 12 support the base plate 9 and are assembled in a channel-shaped race 13 laid in a pit 14:. A worm gear 15 is mounted on the shaft 10 and is in mesh with a worm 16 on the end of a shaft of a motor 17.

A friction pinion 18 is in engagement with the periphery of the cylinder 2 and is mounta ed on the end of a shaft 19 on which a gear 69 20 is also mounted, in mesh with a pinion 21 on the end of the shaft of an electric motor 22. The latter is placed on the base plate 9.

Each floor 1 has a separate set of scenery consisting of the pieces of furniture 23, trees 2e, musical instruments 525, etc. All these articles are permanently attached to the respective floors and are arranged to representseparate stage settings when brought in front 79 of the stage opening 26 (indicated by dotted lines in Fig.1).

The cylinder 2 is divided by a partition 27 into two sections, each section being provided with a separate set of stage settings.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The cylinder 2 is turned by the motor 22 until the desired stage setting is brought before the stage opening 28, the floor 1 being then on the level with the floor 27 of the rest of the stage. Suitable curtains or screens (not shown) may hide the rest of the floors from the audience.

Upon completion of the play of the first scene the cylinder is turned to bring the sec- 0nd setting in front of the opening 26. This procedure is continued until all the settings have been used. The cylinder 2 is then turned around by the motor 17 on the shaft 10 so as to bring to the front another set of stage settings separated from the first set by the partition 27. The new settings are again successively used for different scenes in the play. This arrangement of two sets of settings separated by a partition provides for a double number of the stage settings with a given number of the floors 1.

The pit 14 in front or the cylinder 2 may be covered by floor boards 28.

It is understood, of course, that any suitabe moved on and off the stage.

-mesh with a pinion operated by the motor 22, or, even, a suitable chain drive may be employed.

The cylinder 2 with its supporting platform 9 is shown in Fig. l to be permanently built on the stage of a theater. It is possible, however, to make a portable cylinder on a truck 29, as shown in Fig. 3. Y The truck is prov ded with supporting rollers 30 and is itself mounted on rollers 31 so that it can I An additional arrangement is also shown in Fig. 3 which can be used with the permanent mechanism shown in Fig. 1, forproviding a two-story stage.

For this purpose hinged arms 33 are lowered from the sides on cords 35. An additional platform or floor 36 is then placed on the ends of the arms, forminga second story stage. The platform may have a furniture 32 already mounted and assembled.

A portable multiple stage setting. as shown in Fig. 3, if used without the additional second story arrangement, may be employed for short vodevile sketches. The unused or extra stage settings need not be covered from view if so desired.

The central shaft 10 in Fig. 1 may be omitted and a pit with an elevator substituted, if it is desired to have oneor more of the floors 1 to be provided with trap doors for the actors to appear or disappear in a play.

Important advantages of my invention are that it enables theatrical producers to stage plays with a more or less large number of various scenes taken in different places, thereby approaching in this respect the rich scenery of the motion picture plays. The change of the scenery is very rapid and can be made duringa time necessary to lower the curtain and then to raise it immediately. There is practically no handling of the scenery, so that a large item of the labor expense is greatly I reduced, with a corresponding saving in the wear and tear of the scenery, furniture and other theatrical property. The wings on the stage can be kept free from the accumulation of various more or less bulky articles of scenery.

The vertical arrangement of the rotating multiple stage permits to utilize the vertical space with a corresponding saving in area required for the stage.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rotary stage mounting, the combination with a hollow cylinder. of means rotatively to support said cylinder on its periphery, and a plurality of platforms forming a polygon inscribed in said cylinder and supported therein, said platforms being adapted to support articles of scenery and stage settings securely attached to said pla thereto, said platforms being adapted to support articles of stage scenery securely attached to said supports, and means to rotate said cylinder so as to bring said platforms successively in alignment with the stage floor in a theater, each of said platforms with its scenery forming an individual stage.

3. In a rotary stage mounting, the combination with a hollow cylinder, of means rotatively to support said cylinder on its periphery, a plurality of platforms forming a polygon inside of said cylinder and attached thereto, said platforms being adapted to support articles of stage scenery in a permanent alignment, a partition dividing said cylinder transversely into two sectionspeach of said sections having a set of said stage platforms, and means to turn said cylinder on a vertical axisso as selectively to bring into view one or the other of said sets of stage platforms. 7

4:. In a rotary stage mounting, the combination with a hollow-cylinder, of means rotatively to supportsaid cylinder on its periphery with the axes of said cylinder arranged horizontally. a plurality of platforms arranged longitudinally in said cylinders and forming a polygon, said platforms being adapted permanently to support articles of stage scenery thereby forming a plurality of stage settings, and means to rotate said cylinder on its axis thereby bringing said platforms successively in alignment with the stage floor in a theater.

5. In a rotary stage mounting, the combination with a hollow cylinder, of means rotatively to support said cylinderv on its periphery with its axis horizontal, a plurality of platforms arranged longitudinally in said cylinder and forming a polygon, said platforms being adapted to supportarticles of stage scenery and being further adapted to be brought successively into alignment with the floor of the stage in a theater, thereby forming individual stage settings, and means to removably support a second storyplatform from the corners of said polygon. f

6. In a rotary stage mounting, the combination with a hollow cylinder," of means rotatively to support said cylinder on its periph-- ery withthe axis of said cylinder horizontal, a plurality'of platforms supported longitudinally in said cylinder and forming a polygon, said platformsbeing adapted to support articles of stage scenery and to be successively brought into alignment with the stage floor in a theater, a removable second story platform, arms hingedly supported in the corners of said polygon, and means to support said arms in a raised position, said arms being adapted to support said removiallole platform above the level of the stage oor.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

BORIS S. GLAGOLIN. 

